Musings on homeschooling, theology, parenting, Anglican Church in North America, Pittsburgh, family, arts and crafts, Korea, poetry, photography and whatever else gets trapped between my ears. My world is eclectic. I think everyone's is or ought to be.

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Paul to the persecuted at Philippi (2:5-11)

30 May 2012

Appalled….

I read this in the news recently:

“Diane Tran, an 11th-grade honor student at Willis High School near Houston, was sent to jail for 24 hours last week by Judge Lanny Moriarty and ordered to pay a $100 fine for excessive truancy.

It's unclear how many days Tran missed, but state law reportedly permits only 10 absences in a six-month period.

Tran, who works full-time at a dry-cleaning business and part-time for a wedding planner, has been supporting her brother and sister since her parents separated and her mother moved away.”

Oh my, we have a lot of problems at play in this one. First, if she’s in jail, isn’t this kid going to end up missing school because of it? But what is school preparing her for if she can maintain honors grades whether or not she is present and already has a productive adult life in the workforce for which school is supposed to prepare her? So she misses a few days, clearly they weren’t really necessary for her anyway.

But Texas presses on. They put a kid in jail. A non-violent kid who does no harm to society and in fact has taken her place as a responsible and productive citizen. Proud of yourself, Texas?

But it gets better….

“Tran, who is considered an adult under Texas state law…”

Yes, folks, you read that right. The law says she’s an adult. She can pay taxes, she is tried as an adult, she is sent to adult jail. And yet she apparently doesn’t have the adult right not to submit her time and attention to the demands of the state indoctrination system. Phenomenal. She is an adult for trial purposes, but by law in Texas she’s not allowed to excuse herself from required public schooling until she’s a year older.

The news is going on and on about this unjust judge who simply followed the law. Sure the judge comes off like a unthinking petty bureaucrat. The bigger problem here, though, is that he’s just following the rules.

Just like he no doubt learned to do in public school.

And to his thinking, why would he excuse this wayward youth from just such a lesson.

I probably shouldn't let these things bother me. We have people taking identification photos with their faces covered and other people saying you shouldn't have to present ID to vote. And TEC is selling churches to people who teach their sons to hate America and Americans and to kill Christians. Why should I be bothered by a little lack of common sense in Texas - or be surprised. As you noted, does a "legal" adult not have the right to skip school, with or with out a "good" reason? Must be a Texas state of mind. Anyway, I read that she has a pile of money coming her way from donations. Unless Texas decides that as a high schooler, she has to turn her windfall over to the "responsible" parent.